How Many People Were Convicted of Shanda Sharer’s Murder?

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault and murder. Reader discretion is advised.

The latest episode of Investigation Discovery‘s Mean Girl Murders delved into the abuse and murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer, who was tortured and killed by four teenage girls. The episode aired on ID on Monday, April 8, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.

Melinda Loveless, 16, Lauri Tackett, 17, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence, who were both 15, were all found guilty in relation to Sharer’s murder. The victim was at her father’s home in Jeffersonville, Indiana, when the four girls reportedly picked her up in a car on January 10, 1992. After some time, Loveless, who was hiding in the backseat, put a knife to her throat. She reportedly expressed her wish to kill Sharer after she found out that her girlfriend had been seeing Sharer.

According to court documents, they then took the victim to an abandoned house in Madison, where they bullied her. After they drove to Lauri Tackett’s house, Loveless beat up Shanda Sharer and punched her in the gut. On the other hand, Tackett choked and stabbed Sharer before they locked her up in the trunk of the car and drove around at night. Tackett also assaulted the victim with a tire iron.

After they returned to Tackett’s house, the four girls decided to burn Shanda Sharer’s body, so they drove to a far-off location, drenched her with gasoline, and lit her on fire. Unbeknownst to the four girls, Sharer was reportedly still alive when they burned her. The girls even claimed they did not know about it. However, Lawrence reported what happened to authorities along with her parents, per Chicago Tribune.

When were Shanda Sharer’s killers released from prison?

Indy Star reported that Melinda Loveless, Toni Lawrence, Lauri Tackett, and Hope Rippey were all convicted after being found guilty. The court sentenced Loveless and Tackett to 60 years each, while Rippey was sentenced to 50 years and Lawrence to 20 years. According to Fox 59, they have all been released from prison now. Lawrence was the first to be released in 2000, followed by Rippey in 2006. Lauri Tackett was released in 2018, and Loveless was released in 2019.

Although they were all minors when the crime took place, all of the girls were subject to trial as adults. The brutality of the crime led to the nationwide coverage of the case after an autopsy revealed gruesome details. According to the report, the accused tied up Shanda Sharer’s ankles and wrists. She had been beaten on the head with a blunt object multiple times, and several lacerations had been caused by sodomy, per Tampa Bay Times.

The autopsy also established that smoke inhalation and burning were the causes of death. According to Chicago Tribune, the victim’s body was reportedly found after two bird watchers were traveling along an empty road. Her fists were allegedly closed, and her arm muscles were drawn up. Both of these are reported to be reactions due to extreme heat.

The upcoming episode of Mean Girl Murders aired on ID on Monday, April 8, 2024. It explored the murder of Shanda Sharer and the conviction of the four girls who killed her.